21. Dr Jack Kruse: Critical Role of Light in Human Evolution, Health & Chronic Disease
Regenerative Health with Max Gulhane, MD
Melanin as a Biological Semiconductor
Jack Kruse explains how skin melanin and neuromelanin absorb light, support signaling, and potentially shaped the evolution of the human brain.
Dr Jack Kruse joins me in an epic three-hour interview to weave the story of human evolution fundamentally tied to light. He describes our transition from furry ground dwelling mammals to upright walking primates, the critical role of the POMC gene, melanin and function of mitochondria as producers of endogenous light, as well as the distortion of the light environment as the key underlying driver of modern chronic disease.
Dr Jack Kruse is a neurosurgeon, biophysicist, health optimisation researcher and founding father of the circadian health / mitochondrial medicine movement. This is the first in a series of interviews with Dr Kruse that will also cover water and magnetism, two further installments in a trilogy that strongly challenges the centrality of diet as the chief determinant of optimal health. Stay tuned for further episodes.
*This is not a podcast for beginners, and if you want the cliff notes I’d suggest watching Dr Max’s summary takes and the closing thoughts. Some explicit language in this interview – Dr Jack is extremely passionate!
TIMESTAMPS
00:00:00 Dr Max's intro
00:05:11 Dr Kruse’s backstory
00:10:22 Differences between centralized and decentralized medicine
00:12:32 Incongruence in Darwin’s theories of evolution
00:13:27 Evolution of mammals from ground dwelling creatures
00:17:57 The POMC gene and its cleavage products allowed mammals to survive the dinosaur extinction event
00:28:12 POMC, the leptin melanocortin pathway and human metabolism
00:34:37 POMC and autoimmunity
00:38:42 To understand the effect of light on biology, we need to understand physics
00:41:15 UV light from the sun is critical to stimulating POMC
00:46:42 Robert O. Becker’s research on bioelectrics and cellular DC electric current
00:50:22 POMC, melanin and biological semi-conductors
00:59:52 Dr Max’s summary of the first hour
01:05:05 What is leptin and its function?
01:12:28 All mammalian cells generate UV light in the mitochondria and use it to signal
01:19:27 The biological function of melanin
01:26:19 Dr Max’s summary of the function of leptin
01:30:05 Reversing vitiligo, grey hair & melanin loss with sun & UV light
01:36:43 Melanoma develops in absence of full spectrum (red/infrared) sunlight
01:39:38 Dr Max’s summary of the first 1.5 hours
01:41:22 What are mitochondria?
01:47:29 Competing theories on the factors that influenced development of human brain
01:49:27 History of biological semi-conductors and importance of DHA in the SN2 position
01:56:36 Photoreceptors, neuropsin and mental health conditions
02:08:00 Incongruent light signals between eye and skin creates disease
02:12:47 The harms of taking exogenous melatonin
02:17:52 Why blocking UV light causes melanoma
02:24:32 Rebuttals to ‘light causes all diseases’ point of view
02:38:42 Understanding light is critical to understanding the root causes of patients diseases
02:54:03 Dr Kruse’s take on premature male pattern balding and refractory error aka ‘soyjak meme’
02:59:49 Why we see low serum Vitamin D in overweight or obese people
03:04:49 Dr Jack’s closing thoughts
03:08:02 Three actionable steps for the listener
FURTHER READING
See Youtube show notes for full list - unable to fit here
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